Auxiliary cable bight



Oct. 12, 1937. H. J. SULLIVAN AUXILIARY CABLE EIGHT Filed Oct. 29, 1936 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 12, 1937 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUXILIARY CABLE BIGHT Henry J. Sullivan, Duluth, Minn. Application October 29, 1936, Serial No. 108,209

Claims. o1;114-230 This invention relates to holding means for for example the link 8 carried by the other cable terminals and has special reference to what cringled end of the bight 2, or directly with such might be termed auxiliarybights for cable or line if preferred. attachments to other objects. r A catch is formed for the free end of the dog 1 5 Itfis well known to marine men, or the like, by the link holding clip member 9 riveted or that considerable difficulty is experienced in the otherwise fixed to the back of the member'5 inmaking fast and letting go of lines from aboard termediate of its ends; the link l0 being pivotally ship, especially when moored at a dock, and in held as shown intermediate of the ends of the many instances it requires a sailor both on board member 9 so that the link is free to flop one way 10 ship and at the terminal of the line to make fast orthe other thereupon. This link I0 is of the 10 or release the mooring line or cable. bar type having a cross member I] intermediate It is also known that the great majority of of its ends and formed integral therewith. This suchmooring lihesare of wire construction and crossmeinber, when the link I0 is in its upper that the mooring cleats or timberheads are now most position, that is at substantially right angles usually of metal or concrete, necessitating much to the back of the member 5, acts as a keeper for 15 more positive and stronger attachment for such the otherwise free end of the dog to prevent its line than heretofore. opening up for the release of the link 8 held The principal object of the instant invention thereby. To the outermost free end of the link is to provide an auxiliary bight for such a moor- [0 may be attached in any desired manner an ing line, or the like, which may be remotely conoperating line known to mariners, for example, as 20 trolled in respect to its being released, and accoma heaving line, and illustrated at l2. This conplished for example by a heaving line such as nection to the heaving line may or may not be are usually carried aboard ship, as well as actmade permanent so that the auxiliary bight is ing as a connection between the bight of the always avai able for a y pu p se desired through mooring line and the heaving line, the conventhe medium of the heaving line, and furthermore 25 ience of which is well known to those versed in provides means whereby the bight when desired the art. may be released from a distance remote from its Other minor objects will appear in the further use as for example on board a vessel when the description of the invention. bight is used for mooring purposes, thus avoid- Referring now to the accompanying drawing, ing the necessity of an attendant at the bight of 30 forming part of this application, and wherein like the mooring line, as a sharp jerk or pull on the reference characters indicate like parts: heaving line will flop the link I0 outwardly and The figure is a perspective view of a broken over the nose of the dog and thus release it, auxiliary bight illustrating one embodiment of when a pull on the moo i g ne W O v y the invention as applied to a fragmental portion disconnect the auxiliary bight from the mooring 35 of a mooring or other line bight. object such as a timber head or the like.

In the drawing, the numeral I represents the The exterior of the bent portion of the member bight of a service line, such as a mooring or to 5 is concaved, or made somewhat saddle-like in ing line of a vessel or the like which it is desired form, for less frictional and objectionable conne from time to time to make fast to other objects tion with the bight i of the mooring lin 40 such as timberheads, cleats, or the like. 2 rep- To ssi t in the more ready release of the dog resents a loop or bight formed of a suitable rope I as well as to maintain its locked position as or wire line having cringled or grommeted loops illustrated I have provided a resilient ns be- 3 at the termini thereof, or it is obvious that ne th same a preferably attached to r upthese terminals may be equipped with other simiported by the member 9. For this purpose I 45 lar attachments. One of these cringled termini have here shown a member l3 formed of soft is illustrated as beingformed directly within a rubber which tends to hold the free end of the hole 4 within one terminus of the flat metal dog slightly above the arch in the member 9 and saddle hook member 5, the opposite terminus of in contact with the bar II of the link thereabouts which is bifurcated and turned backwardly and when such is the case, or when the link is re- 50 inwardly upon itself forming spaced eyes therein moved by drawing it over the free end of the dog for reception of the through pin or bolt 6, and the latter will be slightly depressed and more intermediate of which bifurcated portions the pin readily spring upwardly when the link releases pivotally carries the dog I. This dog is for opsame. In some instances it may be desirable for tional engagement or release in connection with the dog to remain closed at all times when stress 55 is put upon the bight end and in which event it is obvious that a slight changing in shape of the throat I4 of the dog would sufiice to bring about such result.

From the foregoing it is evident that the device may be used to especially good advantage as an auxiliary mooring bight to be applied around a timberhead or the like, and at any time readily released by one having contact with the heaving line on board ship, and that in many other instances it might be convenient to release such a connection from a distance where access may be had to the heaving or trigger line, when the latter may be permanently fixed to the link [0 as illustrated in the drawing, it being understood that when used in connection with vessel mooring the heaving line is simply temporarily tied to the link In as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An auxiliarybight for mooring lines or the like comprising an angularly shaped saddle for hooked engagement with the bight of a mooring line, a relatively short line pivotally fixed in one end of said saddle, a hook pivoted in the other end of said saddle for removable engagement with the other end of said short line, and a link engageable with the free end of said hook for normally holdingsaid line securely thereto.

2. An auxiliary bight for line terminals comprising a major hooked member, a minor hooked member pivotally carried upon one end of said major member, a catch upon the back of said major member for engagement with the free end of said minor member, a rope loop having one end fixed to the hooked end of said major member and its opposite end engageable with said minor member, and means for locking or unlocking said catch.

3. An auxiliary bight for line terminals comprising a major hooked member, a minor hooked member pivotally carried upon one end of said major member, a catch upon the back of said major member for engagement with the free end of said minor'member, a rope loop having one end fixed to the hooked end of said major member and its opposite end engageable with said minor member, and means for remote control of said catch.

4.'The combination with a vessels mooring line having a fixed looped terminal, of an auxiliary bight releasably secured within the loop of said mooring line and about the object to which the vessel is moored, and a heaving line attached to said auxiliary bight and by which said bight may be released from a distance.

5. The combination with the looped terminal of a vessels mooring line, of an auxiliary bight for attachment within the loop of said mooring line and about the object to which the Vessel is moored, means for releasing said bight from said loop, and a heaving line attached to said bight releasing means and whereby said bight may be released from a distance.

HENRY J. SULLIVAN. 

